'Wardrobe malfunction' shock at SAG awards

By the time the 22-year-old winner of the best actress gong had reached the dais, a gaping split showed the skirt all but detached from the upper layer of the gown, exposing a sheer lining.

But Christian Dior has stepped in to quell questions over the dress' workmanship, explaining that the dress was indeed designed to expose sheer panels, the concertinaed midnight blue silk sitting over a tulle layer.

Jennifer Lawrence's dress seemed to split as she took to the stage. Source: TNT.

"The dress is made of different levels of tulle and satin and that is what viewers saw when Jennifer lifted her dress slightly", a spokesperson from the design house, headed by Raf Simons, told the MailOnline.

"It was not ripped and there was no malfunction - it was the design of the gown."

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The dress was fresh from Dior's haute couture catwalk in Paris, just days before.

Camera angles on the dais appeared to show Lawrence holding the satin carefully as she received her award, with the internet seizing upon what appeared to be an unfortunate dress drama - perhaps the result of an errant heel or overzealous congratulatory hug. Later photos show the actress once again looking ship-shape.

The dress was designed to expose panels of sheer tulle, says Dior . Source: TNT.

Rumours over her dress spilt were possibly the last thing the actress needed, her night already marred by the pneumonia she has been laid low with.

But a win wasn't to be overshadowed by illness or alleged frock shocks, Lawrence’s crowd-pleasing speech hailed as "hilarious" by Twitter fans - including high praise from fellow actress Kirstie Alley, who tweeted: "Jennifer Lawrence...you are the real thing."